SI, Football Gazette, d3football.com Place Little Giants in Football Preseason Poll

The Wabash College football team was named to three preseason Division III football polls this week — Sports Illustrated, Don Hansen's Football Gazette and d3football.com. The Little Giants were selected fourth in SI and the Football Gazette poll and 18th in the d3football.com rankings. The Sports Illustrated ranking came in the August 11th "College Football Preview" edition of the magazine.

Wabash, coming off a 12-1 season in 2002, made the NCAA Division III Playoffs for the first time since 1977. Wabash claimed its first North Coast Athletic Conference title since starting conference play in the 2000 season, finishing the season with a 7-0 NCAC mark. The Little Giants won two playoff games before losing 45-16 to eventual national champion Mount Union in the quarterfinals.

Wabash finished last year's season ranked seventh in the American Football Coaches Association final poll. The Little Giants were picked fourth in Street & Smith's 2003 Preseason Football poll and sixth by Lindy's College Football Annual.

Wabash opens the 2003 season on Saturday, September 13 at Kalamazoo College. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. local time.